Demountable building and structural unit therefor



Feb. 15, 1949. A, 5, ()MAR 2,461,916

DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING AND STRUCTURAL UNIT THEREFOR Filed March 27, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 la '{NVENTOK BY g 7;- V a bm. SM

A. G. OMAR Feb. 15, 1949.

DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING AND STRUQTURAL UNIT THEREFOR Filed March 2'7, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Feb. 15, 1949. A. 5. OMAR 2,461,916

DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING AND STRUCTURAL UNIT THEREFOR Filed March 27, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. W 0% BY U 7 47 L n-, W

Feb. 15, 1949. 'A.,G OMAR 2,461,916

DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING AND STRUCTURAL UNIT THEREFOR Filed March 27, 1945 I I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 1 INVENTOR 1 1&1 m Q I Patented Feb. 15 1949 UNITED STATES rm OFFICE DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING AND STRUC- TURAL UNIT THEREFOR Alejandro Goicoechea Omar, Madrid, Spain 7 Application March 27, 1945, Serial No. 585,035

In Spain August 14, 1944 3 Claims.

. on a mass production basis and to fit one another so that they may be readily assembled and fixed together for the construction of a permanent building. It is very difficult to disassemble them and attempts to do so result in the destruction of much, if not most, of the material from which they are built.

' I have discovered that a building may be constructed from basic collapsible units which possess great structural strength, but which are light and may be folded together compactly so that they may be transported with ease. are capable of being assembled with comparatively little labor to form a strong rigid structure. They may be dismounted just as easily and may then be packed and shipped to a remote site where they can be re-assembled as before.

In accordance with my invention, a demountable building is constructed from foldable transverse frame units which can be anchored to the ground, and wall sections which are supported between the frame units. Each transverse frame unit includes a pair of uprights, and rafters hinged to the uprights and to each other so that they may be folded between the uprights in the form of an M. Each wall section consists of a number of vertical panels hinged to each other and channels engaging the upper and lower edges of the panels to hold them in alignment.

Other advantages of my invention will be pointed out or become apparent from the following detailed description of the specific embodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a transverse frame unit;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the unit illustrated in Fig. l in collapsed position;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the parts of the frame unit in nested arrangement;

Fig. 4 is a section along the lines 4'4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the frame unit illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view illustrating the fastening between an upright and its ground anchor;

The parts Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the ground anchor illustrated in Fig. 6 showing the method of pivoting an upright to it;

Fig. 8 is a section along the lines 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a detail illustrating a modified form of ground anchor;

Fig. 10 is a section along the lines Ill-l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an elevation of a wall section;

Fig. 12 is a section along the lines l2l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a section illustrating the extended.

panels of the Wall section shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a section illustrating the folding of the wall panels shown in Fig. 13

Fig. 15 is a perspective showing the structural units in different stages of assembly;

Fig. 16 is a sectional detail illustrating a modified form of connection between the ends of adjacent wall sections and an upright;

Fig. 17 is a perspective View of a modified form of ground anchor;

Fig. 18 is a diagrammatic illustration of a modified frame unit;

Fig. 19 is a section of the members constituting the unit of Fig. 18 in nested relation;

Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic illustration of a further modification of the frame unit; and

Fig. 21 is a section of the parts constituting the frame unit of Fig. 20 in nested relation.

The transverse units 25 illustrated in the drawings include a pair of articulated uprights 26 and rafters 2'! which are made of sheet metal, preferably sheet steel. Each upright 26 includes a channel 28 and flanges 28. The rafters 21 are preferably of channel form also, and one is connected to each upright 26 adjacent its top by a hinge 30 which is contained within channel 28. The rafters 21 of each pair are also connected to each other by hinge 3! so that they may be folded between the uprights in the form of an M, and the flanges 28 may be brought together to form a box which encloses the rafters 27. The box so formed may be fastened in closed position by bolts 32 which extend through holes 33 in flanges 29.

Eachtransverse frame member 25 is also provided with a series of detachable braces which are'adapted so maintain the frame in its erected.

position and which'fit within the box provided by uprights 26 when the unit is folded up:

The transverse frame unit illustrated in Figs. 1-5 and is provided with braces consisting of a pair of struts and a tie member 36. Each strut 35 is permanently attached at one end in a channel 28 by hinge 37. The other end of that strut may be detachably secured to the corresponding rafter 27 and an end of the tie member 36 by bolts 38. When the bolts 38 are removed and the rafters 21 are folded within channels 28, the struts 35 are also folded within those channels 28 andare embraced by the channels forming rafters 21. The space between rafters 21 in the box provided by uprights 26 contains the tie member 36.

An anchor 40 which may be driven into the ground 4i is provided for each upright 26. The uprights 26 are secured to their respective anchors 40 by bolts 42, 42a and 4,3. A'blocl; of wood 44 is preferably placed in the lower end of channel 28 to permit the bolts 43 to be sfil? ti htly without crushing that channel.

The wall sections 45 include vertical panels 46 connected to each other by hinges 41 so that they may be folded over each other. Channels 48 are adapted to embrace the upper and lower ends of the panels 46 to keep them in proper alignment. The panels 46 may be constructed of any conventional building material. Preferably, they are made of twospaced walls: 56, 5! which not only afford a strong light construction but also provide an insulation space 52. The panels 45 may also include openings such as the window 53.

When it is desired to ship or store the -wall sections 45, the panels 45 are folded over each other. The outer edges of those panels are then protected from injury by the channels 48.

The frame units and wall sections and the building constructed from them are assembled as follows:

The bases of the anchors 49 are imbedded in the ground at the desired points. The nested transverse frame units are placed on the ground, bolts; 32 are removed, and the frame unit is unfolded. The struts 35 and tie member 35 are then fixed to the rafters 21 by bolts 33 and the lower flange of each upright 26 is pivoted to its anchor 40 by bolt 42. The frame unit 25 1s then swung on bolt 42 as a pivot to a vertical position. It is secured in that position by bolts 42a, 43. A second vertical frame unit 25 is placed in vertical position on its anchors 40 in lilge manner.

As soon as two adjacent vertical units 25 are secured in erected position, the wall sections 45. which fit between them may be, installed. The panels 46 are unfolded, the channels 48 are removed from the edges of those panels and secured to the ends of those sections by bolts 5.5. The sections are then placed between adjacent uprights 26 so that their edges abut channels 28 and lie against flanges 29 and they are secured by bolts which pass through holes 56 in the wall sections and holes 33 in the flanges. Alternative-1y, the wall sections 45 maybe secured to uprights 26 by means of channels 51 which are bolted to the channels 28 of those uprights (Fig. 16). The balance of the frame units and wall sections are installed in like manner.

The rafters 21 and the upper ends of them)- rights 26 of adjacent frame units 25 are tied together by horizontal beams which serve to supporta roof of any conventional construction (not shown). The horizontal beams illustrated in the drawings consist of Z-shaped sheet metal bars 59 which may be secured to rafters 21 and the upper ends of uprights 26 by bolts 60. As illustrated in Fig. '1, those bars 59 may also be contained in the box provided by the folded uprights 26.

The building so constructed may be readily disassembled by reversing the process described above.

The articulated uprights and rafters which provide transverse frame units capable of being folded to form a self-contained package may be braced in various ways other than that described above: One, such system-of braces is illustrated v diagrammatically in Figs. 18 and 19. The uprights 26 and rafters 21 in this form are secured in erected position by converging braces 62, 63 which-extend from hinges 64, 65 and which may be secured to each other by a pin 66. In this form the. flangfldportions of the channels of upri hts 26, face away from each other rather than towardeach-other, and, when they are folded, the uprights 26 are swung outwardly to embrace the rafters 21.

Another bracing system for the frame units isillustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 20am 1. In this form, the uprights 26 and rafters, 21 are. held in erected position .bybraces .61 which are hinged in the channels of therespective uprights 26, extend to opposing rafters, and are connected at their point of intersection by bolt 68.

The anchor 40 illustrated in Figs. 5,.6 and8 is particularly designed for use in firm ground into which it may bedriv-en securely. Modifications hic s pport theuprish s e m n r. may be used with other foundations. The form illustrated in Figs. 9pand 10 is particularlydesigned for use in soft or sandy soil or in rock. It comprises a metal sheet 10 whose, base is imbedded in a block, of concrete II. A metal. brace 72 may be used to reinforce the channel 28. in rder that t cb lts .3'may be set without c us ing that .channel.

The form of anchor illustrated. in: Fig. 17 is d si ned for us n ha d ground. It consi s of a horizontal plate 14 provided withholes. lfifor pikes- I'h plates- .5. 1? ar fix d te'the hor nta late and a e provided. withholesJMor the ec qn of bolt/s42, an 43- -t-will b ap ec at d hatth str cture which I ha e de crib dmaybe used for many diffe nt purpo s-an i may er ct d. d smant ed and re-erected with very littlewa'ste. Yet, it, provides an x eptiona l s r ng and ri id structureurt rmor itis ve yelis t an y rtue o ts o lap b e ea urea: and. i particu r.- le box. provided by theflanged channels forming the up.- rights. t may beeasilv tra spor d.-

I pr e to the. foldable frame-units: and Wal v lem nts t get er i n a u ldin Howev r. e th may b u ed w houtt t e a d vari us ther modificat n may b ad in th buildin and structural units which I have-described withont departing from the spirit of my invention-as defined in the appended claims.

What I cla m is;

1. A demountable building including foldable ransy rse frame u itsrha ns. upright and rafters, said rafters being pivoted together at 31113? e t ends d. p voted at their other ends t the upri ht Wa l e tions fitting betw cniadiace uprights and each consisting of a number of vertical panels hinged to each. other at adjacent ve tical. ed es. and channels embreci s'theup r and lower edges of the panels to hold them in alignment.

2. A foldable transverse frame unit for a demountable building comprising two channels having laterally-directed flanges forming uprights, and rafters, said rafters being pivoted together at their adjacent ends and at their outer ends to the channels and being foldable into housed relation with respect to the channelathe flanges of the channels being engaged in the folded position of parts.

3. A folding transverse frame unit for a demountable building comprising uprights containing channels, rafters containing channels and hinged to the uprights and to each other so as to be foldable within the channels of the uprights, and hinged braces detachably connecting the uprights and rafters and adapted to fold within the channels in said rafters.

ALEJANDRO GOICOECHEA OMAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the,

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain 1944 

